The invention relates generally to contact assemblies for electrical connectors, and, more particularly to low profile contact assemblies for mezzanine connectors.
The number of input/output (“I/O”) pin connections between peripheral circuit boards, sometimes referred to as circuit cards, and main circuit boards, sometimes referred to as “motherboards” in some modern electronic devices is steadily expanding. The motherboard, however, is only capable of accommodating a limited number of I/O connections, and as the number of connections increases, the required I/O connections may exceed the maximum available connection capability of the motherboard. One solution to this problem is the use of a supplemental card portion (i.e., a so-called “mezzanine” card or “daughter” card) that is mounted to the main circuit card in order to provide one or more additional connectors and additional I/O pins. Such mezzanine cards are also used whenever multiple circuit cards are advantageously interconnected for connection to a motherboard.
Typically, the mezzanine connectors include a housing having a number of resilient contacts therein, and the contacts include longitudinal contact beams extending generally perpendicular to the mother board when connected thereto. The connector housing includes alignment features that accept connection pins of a mating connector and guide the pins into secure electrical contact between the contact beams. As the number of connection pins increases, an amount of force required to properly establish the pin connections increases. Consequently, proper alignment of the connection pins with respect to the contact beams is significant. Any misalignment may damage the pins and or the contacts of the mezzanine connector as they are forced together.
As electronic devices become increasingly more compact in size, the use of such mezzanine cards and associated connectors can be problematic. For example, in at least one device, the mezzanine card connector is specified to extend a distance of only about 2 mm above the surface of the mezzanine card for proper interfacing with a motherboard. Known contacts in known mezzanine connectors are not suitable in such devices, both in terms of size and the manner in which the connections are made.